London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than six decades ago , the European Movement 's founder Jean Monnet shared his vision for the region 's nascent union , prescribing money as a means to heal the wounds left by two world wars .

`` The fusion '' of Europe 's economic ties , he said , would compel its nations `` to fuse their sovereignty '' as well `` into that of a single European state . ''

To the Frenchman , a federal Europe was the natural progression of the bloc 's newfound stability .

A collection of like-minded countries whose shared goals were so clear they would willingly surrender their own governments for the group 's greater good .

That was 1952 . A time when the future held great promise after the horrors of the past and anything seemed possible -- even creating a new pseudo country . A place now known as the European Union .

Fast forward to the present day and , though the EU does have some shared organs of government , like a commission and parliament , it certainly is n't the set of `` united states '' Monnet hoped for . Ones with the same deep-seated convictions and beliefs .

The glue holding their common ideologies together came unstuck with the fall of the Berlin Wall .

Since then , a crisis among countries sharing the euro has reopened old wounds . Ironically , instead of bringing nations together , their finances have threatened to tear them apart .

This leaves us with one fundamental question : if the EU 's main task is no longer to provide peace , and it ca n't guarantee prosperity either , then what should its role be ?

Born from the ashes of Europe 's turbulent past , the EU has accomplished much for its members .

It has taught its citizens value of compromise over violence , providing protection and strength in numbers .

It has boosted prosperity , thanks to the free flow of goods and labor brought about by the single market , while consumer and workers ' rights have been reinforced and their health improved thanks to bans on smoking .

But the EU has also drifted far from its original concept , its ranks swollen by a massive Brussels-based bureaucratic machine which , critics say , is stifling industry and is pushing members like the UK towards the exit door .

The bloc 's borders have doubled with its endless absorption of former communist countries , stretching the definition of Europe to its limits , making membership to this formerly elite club appear more like a handy foreign policy tool rather than a cherished vision .

The EU faces a constant challenge living up to the expectations of its citizens and without two-tier policies it has no hope of serving both the bloc 's strong and weak economies alike .

The EU needs a new vision a new project its people can feel passionate about .

And where better to start then this week 's pivotal parliamentary elections .

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The European Movement 's founder Jean Monnet laid out his vision for the bloc more than six decades ago

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It was a time when the future held great promise after the horrors of two world wars

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But fast forward to now , and the EU is struggling to identify its vision after financial crisis

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The European elections are key , and Nina dos Santos says the union needs a new vision